Pontiac, MI Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Electronic billboards are prohibited in Pontiac unless converted under the process in Zoning Ordinance § 5.105.G.12, which applies only within the M-1 and M-2 districts where billboards are otherwise allowed. To qualify, an applicant must first permanently remove and demolish five nonelectronic commercial billboards it owns or controls that sit in or near residentially zoned areas, verified with a notarized demolition affidavit and photographic evidence to the Planning Department; only then may one remaining billboard convert to electronic format. A converted sign cannot change its existing height, area, or structural framework except to fix nonconformities, and any prior nonconformities on that billboard must be cured first.

Once converted, each message frame must hold static for at least 15 seconds, transitions must be instantaneous with no fading, scrolling or animation, and illumination cannot exceed 0.3 footcandle above ambient light at the nearest residential property line or one footcandle at the nearest nonresidential property line. Video, live-feed content, and fade or fly-out effects are barred outright. Conversion applications go to the Planning Commission for a public hearing, with notice mailed to owners within 500 feet at least 15 days ahead; a denial or a denied renewal can be appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals within 15 days. Approved conversions also require a one-time $5,000 maintenance bond, and the permit itself expires three years after issuance unless administratively renewed.